Did this really happen? I have to sit and pinch myself when I reflect back on the happenings of that day… Was it a dream or did I really enter into one of India’s largest red light districts walking through the endless lanes and alley ways, plagued with flies, and littered with feces and unknown fluids. Did I really walk into one of the darkest places in the world and invite trafficked women and their children to come to worship and receive prayer? Yes, it was real and it was powerful. For hours I got to worship in a small building right in the middle of the red light district, surrounded by brothels. In this little room, filled with trafficked women and their children, I got to worship with a little precious fireball sitting in my lap… He stayed there for hours in the security of my arms, in a loving embrace. He stood only to pray, but never ventured far and would sit right back in my lap when done. I wondered as sweat poured, and I mean poured , how often does this precious little one feel loved? Feel safe? Those questions and answers that I knew made the sweat, the numbing of legs, made everything worth it… To show these kiddos a glimpse of God’s love for them, was such a blessing. To see them worship, some that you could tell were transported right there to his throneroom and were dancing for him, is so beautiful… They are light in the darkness, God is touching them with His love He has not forgotten them.
We sang for hours, children, madams, and my trafficked sisters… what a crazy crowd, huh? Following singing we powerfully and intentionally interceded for the area, for the women’s hearts, for the end of trafficking, for the children, for righteous leaders, we interceded and then opened the door for prayer. Women entered for payer, many madams, yes madams, and trafficked sisters… They came to get prayer for healing, but much more got prayed for. Honestly when praying for one of the women, I kept feeling pressed to pray for a love encounter with Jesus more than healing, that His love would wreck her heart, would stir up value that she had forgotten, that His love would amaze, move and comfort her. In the middle of praying, and I will never forget this, she shed a tear that fell on my wrist… it was after praying that I was told she was a madam, a pimp. I say this with humility, but I am glad I did not know that she was a madam, as in that moment I was able to pray for her, just as God led me to and was not distracted by others prayers I might have added, like conviction, etc. I was able to see this beautiful woman as my sister that was hurting and in need of God’s touch, and I am so thankful for that. It taught me what I thought I already knew, but needed to learn on another level in my heart, which was that the madams and pimps are His too and they need Him. Yes, the madams need a God encounter too, they need to be rocked by God’s transforming love and grace, nothing but this kind of amazing encounter will change them… My heart lept at this realization, which I understand may seem strange, but these sisters and brothers need freed too, and many of them become madams after being trafficked themselves. They are lost, hardened, and in need of His powerful love. I know the power that can come from even one of them turning their lives and hearts around, can you see it? Can you see the previous madams changing to protect, empower and save women rather than own and abuse them? Can you see them changing other madams perspectives and hearts? I can and will continue to passionately pray for this!
